Voice of the people (letter).

Back To The Future?

July 11, 1997|By Joseph Zucker.

CHICAGO — The last Chicago streetcar rolled into the barns at 77th Street and Vincennes Avenue early on the morning of June 22, 1958, as mentioned in your "Chicago Days" series as one of the more memorable days in the history of Chicago and the Tribune.

Chicago had the world's largest street railway system, operating more than 3,500 streetcars on nearly 1,200 miles of tracks. Buses rapidly replaced the oldest cars after World War II, and the 600 streamlined streetcars--quiet, fast and efficient--were converted into elevated cars.

Streetcars almost returned to our streets with the proposed Central Area Circulator that failed to receive funding from Springfield and Washington to match the city's contribution. The circulator would have helped ease congestion as a light-rail system in the Loop and to Navy Pier and McCormick Place.

Too bad that the Tribune feels that track and wire in the downtown area would "hinder traffic." Light rail has returned to San Diego, Portland, Buffalo and most recently Dallas--all with some operations in their downtowns--with all doing a good job in moving people efficiently. The goal of light rail is to move people--not vehicles! One hopes that the Tribune and our legislators will re-examine the value of light rail's return to Chicago.